< Firefox

Download Size

Background

Download size is an important factor in adoption. Keeping the download size small, especially below a mental barrier like 5.0 MB keeps Firefox in the class as "simple utility applications" and is downloaded without as much hesitation by users. It also allows clever marketing ala Asa's "It's like downloading an MP3"

To maintain a trim download size as new features and compiler requirements arrive, we must develop strategies to make our existing code better and cleaner.

Keeping a compact download size should be on the mind of every engineer on the Firefox project, just like accessibility and internationalization.

Studies

Strategies

• trim down InternetSearchService
• remove unnecessary developer-only components (DOM inspector, JS console)
• remove unnecessary xpinstall components
• better 7zip tuning
• trim the installer (currently rather bloated)
• xulrunner installer that downloads firefox.xap
• remove more unnecessary chrome and xpfe cruft (e.g. browserinstance)
• etc.